Courtyard Houses: Starting with the principle of hard work paying off

Chapter 38 The King of Ideas
This "two and a half ounces" figure was naturally the conclusion Li Hongbing reached after repeated observations, research, and calculations in the kitchen of Fengzeyuan.

Not absolute, but it's a fairly standard amount.

Learning, observing, and memorizing more in the kitchen is just a common saying.

In addition, you should learn to think and summarize more in order to learn useful things more easily or efficiently.

"Hongbing, how did you cook this fish?"

As soon as Aunt Yan asked the question, everyone else looked at Li Hongbing with expectant eyes.

Most fish on the market are now cheaper than pork, sometimes by a significant amount. However, fish has a strong fishy smell and is relatively difficult to prepare, so it is less popular.

If we can learn a method from Li Hongbing, then we can use the money we would have spent on meat to buy more fish and have more meat at home.

Seeing Li Hongbing remain silent, Aunt Yan and the others became somewhat nervous.

Actually, Aunt Yan's question was already a bit abrupt.

For artisans, these skills are their livelihood and are not easily passed on, so they were unsure whether Li Hongbing would reveal them.

“Hongbing, if it’s inconvenient for you to say, then I won’t force you.”

After hesitating for a moment, Aunt Yan couldn't help but speak up.

This way of speaking not only avoids putting Li Hongbing in a difficult position, but also saves him a way out and prevents an awkward situation later.

"nothing."

Li Hongbing smiled and said to Aunt Yan, "This dish is called 'Live Fish in Sauce.' It mainly uses a carp weighing about 1.5 jin (750 grams). The ingredients are simple: about 2 liang (100 grams) each of sweet bean sauce, sugar, and lard, and..."

"Wow, you're going to use so much stuff?"

Before Li Hongbing could finish speaking, Aunt Yan couldn't help but exclaim, "It takes two ounces of lard to cook just one fish. Who can afford that? It's simply too extravagant!"

"Not only that, but also two ounces of white sugar and sweet bean sauce."

Someone immediately chimed in.

"Goodness, when you calculate it this way, it's more cost-effective and less troublesome to just buy pork directly."

"That's right. If you can buy a fattier one, you can render it into oil and keep some for cooking."

"As expected of Fengzeyuan, even a single dish here is beyond the reach of ordinary families."

"Forget it, this isn't suitable for us."

"..."

They had originally hoped to learn a trick from Li Hongbing, but as soon as he started, they all backed down.

Having anticipated this outcome, Li Hongbing didn't say much.

He hesitated just now because he was worried that it might be inappropriate to reveal the recipe for this dish in public, since he had learned it from Fengzeyuan Restaurant.

Unlike in later generations, where master chefs for state banquets personally teach people how to cook online.

However, considering the materials used, I doubt many people would be willing to spend that much, so I only gave a brief overview, and the result was just as he expected.

Actually, the fish has a strong fishy smell not because no one knows how to handle it, but because there is a general shortage of oil and water nowadays, so people are reluctant to add oil and seasonings, which is why the fish tastes fishy when cooked.

For most people, preparing live fish with sauce is too extravagant, even wasteful.

At this moment, the label of "spendthrift" attached to Li Hongbing probably became even stronger in the minds of everyone in the courtyard.

If it were their own child, cooking like this would be "wasteful," and they would definitely hang them up and give them a good beating.

Shortly after everyone left, Li Hongbing finished the final steps of pouring the sauce and sprinkling ginger, and the braised fish was successfully completed.

[Cooking Skill +10]

At the same time, the cooking skill experience value on the system panel increased by ten points.

Satisfied, Li Hongbing washed the pot and started making the next dish.

At this time, the other families in the front yard also started cooking, but they were all overwhelmed by the aroma wafting from Li Hongbing's house.

However, none of them went to inquire about the method anymore, and even if Li Hongbing were willing to tell them, they dared not listen.

The ingredients he used in his cooking were practically criminal.

After Li Hongbing finished cooking the remaining two dishes and gained another twenty cooking experience points, he put the rice that had been soaking for a while into the pot. At that time, the people who were working outside returned one after another.

"Oh my, whose house has made something delicious? It smells so good!"

"It looks like it's from our department?"

"Could it be Sha Zhu? I remember he didn't take a break today. Did he come back early?"

"Who else could it be but him?"

"..."

The enticing aroma of food wafting from their yard led everyone to assume it was the work of Sha Zhu, with no one suspecting Li Hongbing.

It's actually normal.

He Daqing was a master chef, and before he ran away, Sha Zhu followed him around and naturally learned a lot from him.

His mastery of Tan family cuisine was learned from He Daqing. Last year, Sha Zhu joined Emei Restaurant and became an apprentice. Although it has only been a year and he hasn't reached the position of head chef in the kitchen, he is a student who already possesses the skills, which is completely different from Li Hongbing.

Don't let his age fool you; he's only seventeen. He's a professionally trained cook, so he's widely recognized as the best chef in the hospital.

however.

When they returned home and learned that it was Li Hongbing who made it, or when they passed by the front yard and discovered that the fragrance was coming from the east wing of the Li family's house, they were all astonished and couldn't believe it.

As they learned how "ruthless" Li Hongbing was with the ingredients in his cooking, they could only feel a pang of envy and resentment, muttering inwardly that he was a spendthrift.

With this comparison, I imagine many families in the courtyard won't enjoy their dinners as much tonight.

"Hongbing, did you do all of this?"

When Li Hongmei returned home, she was utterly shocked to see the steaming and fragrant dishes on the table.

When I entered the courtyard just now, I ran into Aunt Yan. She was speaking in riddles to me, saying that I was lucky and would be enjoying a good meal tonight. I didn't quite understand at first, but now I understand everything.

Upon seeing Li Hongmei enter the room, Li Hongbing immediately handed her a set of bowls and chopsticks, saying, "Sister, I've been secretly learning this recipe in the kitchen lately. I took advantage of my day off today to try making it at home. Try it first and see how it tastes."

This action naturally acknowledges that he personally prepared all the dishes.

Even so, Li Hongmei still found it hard to believe, especially after tasting each of the dishes.

In just a short time, Li Hongbing's cooking skills have not only caught up with hers, but have completely surpassed hers.

"Sister, it's not that exaggerated. These are all the master chefs' cooking methods. The dishes I made are actually far inferior to those of the chefs in the kitchen."

Li Hongbing was not being overly modest or exaggerated when he said this.

The same steps and processes can result in vastly different flavors depending on who cooks the food.

In terms of cooking skills and expertise, Li Hongbing is still just a beginner.

Even so, Li Hongmei was overjoyed.

The rice wasn't ready yet. After taking a few bites, Li Hongmei couldn't resist and ate a few more bites before she forced herself to stop.

Later, during the meal, Li Hongbing naturally told Li Hongmei how to cook these dishes and the key tips he knew without reservation, so that she could learn them as well.

only.

After learning about the steps and ingredients for these dishes, Li Hongmei also felt that they were a bit too extravagant.

I felt sorry for her, but I didn't blame her. However, I was afraid I wouldn't be willing to let her do it herself.

"Sis, there's something I need to tell you..."

In order not to spoil their enjoyment of the meal, Li Hongbing waited until the two of them finished eating before telling them what had happened in the courtyard that afternoon.

Hearing that such a big thing had happened in the courtyard while she was away, especially since the deaf old lady had gone to the hospital, Li Hongmei was naturally worried.

"Sister, don't worry, it's nothing."

Knowing Li Hongmei would react this way, Li Hongbing, who was prepared, reassured her, "I'm sure I'll be fine, but it's the deaf old lady who's..."

……

the other side.

While Li Hongbing and Li Hongmei were discussing this matter, Yi Zhonghai did not return to the courtyard house; he was currently in the hospital.

When Wang Guihua brought the deaf old lady to the hospital, she specifically asked someone to notify Yi Zhonghai at the steel rolling mill, so Yi Zhonghai was already on his way to the hospital before the end of the workday.

The nurse just came over to remind him to pay the bill, and Yi Zhonghai has just returned after paying.

In her haste to leave, Wang Guihua didn't have much money on her. Fortunately, Yi Zhonghai remembered this and borrowed some from his coworkers while they were at the factory.

Upon arriving at the ward, knowing that the deaf old lady had woken up and fallen asleep repeatedly, Yi Zhonghai asked his wife, "How is the old lady?"

"The doctor just came to check on him. He was just frightened, nothing serious."

Wang Guihua said this, but looking at the deaf old woman sleeping on the hospital bed, who was still shivering from time to time, the worry in her eyes did not fade.

Upon hearing this, a flash of anger crossed Yi Zhonghai's face, and he said in a low voice, "This Li Hongbing is simply too much! He dares to be so disrespectful to the old lady; he's utterly lawless!"

Yi Zhonghai already knew about what happened in the front yard that afternoon, and the current situation made him very angry.

The key issue is that it was Li Hongbing who caused this.

He had been trying to avoid the other person as much as possible these past few days, but he didn't expect something to happen again today.

They're determined to keep attacking him!

In the entire compound, who didn't know that Yi Zhonghai had a good relationship with the deaf old lady?

In Yi Zhonghai's view, Li Hongbing was deliberately targeting him.

"Honey, don't be impulsive. Li Hongbing is not easy to deal with right now."

Wang Guihua was naturally angry with Li Hongbing, but she knew he was not someone to mess with now, especially since Yi Zhonghai had just lost his position as the eldest son to him. She was worried that if her husband clashed with him again, he would not come out on top.

Yi Zhonghai knew Wang Guihua's concerns, but he had lived for so many years and was not someone who would just sit around doing nothing.

"Don't worry, I have a plan!"

(End of this chapter)